Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
1858 - 1929
Sheikh Ihsan Ali came from a family of Hafiz-e-Qur’an Shia Muslims who lived in
Narowal in the Punjab of what is now Pakistan. His father Sheikh Bina was a well-
respected leather merchant. After Rev. R. Bateman baptized him in Multan in April
1878 he took the name Sheikh Ihsan Ullah. Like St. Paul he had formerly been a
Ihsan Ullah was ordained deacon in 1891 and then priest in Simla in 1895 by Bishop
Matthew of Lahore in 1899. Rev. Ihsan Ullah became the Church Missionary Society
(CMS) Pastor at Narowal 1891-1909, and at Jhang Bar 1901-11. He took part in the
crowning of King George V as the King Emperor in the Delhi Darbar of 1911. With
John (‘Praying’) Hyde he was one of the founders of the Sialkot Convention in 1905.
Canon of the Cathedral Church of the Resurrection, Lahore from 1917 - 22. He died
planter and Bible teacher. No single denomination could contain him. Rev. Ihsan
Ullah believed that his ordination vows were made to God and not to the Church of
England and requested freedom to minister more widely than was considered usual. In
May 1886 to Mr. Ireland Jones, the CMS Secretary, Bateman wrote of Ihsan Ullah as
his greatest difficulty and his greatest hope. He suggested that he might be the man
who under God would lead the church into much more fruitful outreach… ‘He has
received in his soul and on his lips such an anointing of the Holy Spirit as has made
him a much more effective soul winner than he was before. Our people here from the
soberest (Miss Catchpool) to the youngest convert hang on his lips with delight. I
have the greatest hope that he will prove to be dear Bishop French’s long prayed for
Indian apostle.’ By 1896 Ihsan Ullah had decided to forgo CMS allowances and rely
on God’s provision through the Christians of the Punjab for Rs.40 monthly. He
continued to work under Rev. R. Bateman’s direction. Bateman gave him plenty of
work in connection with the Native Christian Council and his evangelistic activities
were not limited to congregations of the Church of England. Bateman thought that
God might well use Ihsan to wake up the Church of England as well as the native
church in the Punjab. God did indeed use him to show forth his glory wherever he
went.
Vivienne Stacey